Mansfield swimmer crosses English Channel and raises thousands for charity

A Mansfield swimmer has fulfilled a lifelong ambition by swimming across the English Channel - raising thousands for charity .

Huw Morgan, 35, swam the English Channel in a time of 12 hours and 48 minutes and raised over £3,000 for three charities including Cancer Research.

On the day, Huw was one of nine individual swimmers who attempted the crossing. And of the nine, only four managed to complete the epic swim.

Huw was a regular at Water Meadows Leisure Centre, in Titchfield Park, during his training for the challenge.

Huw said:“I have been a member of Water Meadows since I started working in Mansfield during the summer of 2015. It has been a brilliant facility at the core of my preparations/ training as well as being great value.

I’ve swam at many swimming pools around the UK, and in all honesty I think Water Meadows is one of the best. They’ve got lane swimming available all day, which is so useful for serious swimmers like me.

"You get swimmers of all abilities and ages, plus the Nova Squad and Para Olympians. Seeing these people swim provided a lot of inspiration and motivation. I received a lot of support, in particular during the last year of training, so I’d like to thank everyone who helped me keep pushing myself.”

Denise Sweeney, duty manager at Water Meadows said: “I saw David a lot during his training. He pushed himself and this has resulted in a successful Channel crossing in an excellent time. Having someone like David at the centre is an inspiration to other swimmers - set yourself a target, big or small, and just keep working towards it.

"We’re all really proud of David at the centre. And at Water Meadows, we’re all about swimming and fitness for everyone, so whatever your ability - from doggy paddler to channel swimmer - come on down!”